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Home, sweet home: The Tribal Room at Second Home on Second Avenue. Below 14th Street
Second Home on Second Avenue
Pick your theme: Peruvian, Tribal, Caribbean, 20th-century Modern… Each of the seven cozy rooms ($80-$195) has decorative touches that are intended to evoke a cultural motif — thankfully most are too subtle to detect. Staying in five of the quarters does require sharing a bathroom, but the charm of this 19th-century townhouse (and its owner, Carlos) makes that trip across the hall in the middle of the night worth it.
• 221 Second Ave., between 13th and 14th Sts., 212-677-3161, secondhome.citysearch.com Howard Johnson Express Inn
Despite the hip address, the accommodations are fairly run-of-the-mill (you can take the HoJo out of suburbia but, well, you know). As a result, this East Village over-nighter is perfect for those who would rather spend their time hitting the streets than hitting the hay. Rates start at $109 for a single and include a continental breakfast.
• 135 E. Houston St., between First and Second Aves.; 212-358-8844, hojo.com.
Cosmopolitan Hotel
TriBeCa's latest bargain hotel, the Cosmo offers 122 small, clean rooms, ideal for business types looking to stay downtown. If you do want a bit more space, however, they can accommodate — book one of their eleven 2-level mini-lofts with a lower-level sitting area and upper-level bedroom area ($129 per night). Other features include newly renovated rooms, all of which have color televisions and private bathrooms. Rates for a single room start at $145.
• 95 W. Broadway, at Chambers St.; 212-566-1900, cosmohotel.comEast Village Bed and Coffee
Let you inner child out at this funky nine-room B&C (sorry, no breakfast here), where room options include the first-floor Treehouse room (which was used as Jennifer Tilly's bedroom in the French film, Happy End), the relaxing top-floor Zen room, and the top-floor Children's room, which is meant for "grown up kids" and decorated with the proprietor's childhood artwork, a chalkboard wall, and a desk from the intermediate school down the street. And it won't take too long to save up your allowance to stay here, as rooms start at just $80, with all taxes included.
• 110 Ave. C, between 7th and 8th Sts.; 212-533-4175; bedandcoffee.comUnion Square Inn
Artists of all kinds flock to this East Village inn, which is patterned after a European pensione and just steps away from lively Union Square, itself reminiscent of an open European plaza. Its 46 rooms are clean, simply furnished, and come with the expected basic amenities, but are also slightly larger than many comparable rooms in the city. Rates start at $109 for a single, or $119 on Friday and Saturday nights.
• 209 E. 14th St., between Second and Third Aves.; 212-614-0500; unionsquareinn.comSoHotel
This Broome Street hotel claims to be the oldest in the city, and sometimes it shows—the rooms are small and amenities are sparse. But SoHotel has three things going for it: location, location, location. Just steps from Little Italy, Chinatown, and (of course) SoHo, its central downtown position is ideal. Actually, it has a fourth thing going for it, too—rooms that start at just $93.07, tax included.
• 341 Broome St., at Bowery; 212-226-1482; sohotel-ny.com
Saviour-faire: European-style charm at the Chelsea Inn. Midtown/Chelsea
Chelsea Inn
With its muraled art-deco bathrooms and flea market furniture, the Chelsea Inn has all the bohemian charm of a Montmartre flat. They offer a choice of private or shared singles and suites, ranging from $99 to $259. Check often for seasonal specials where you can snag one of their quaint singles for as little as $79.
• 46 W. 17th St., between Fifth and Sixth Aves.; 212-645-8989, chelseainn.comChelsea Lodge
If you're a country mouse visiting the big city, you'll feel right at home in this European-style, Chelsea brownstone. It's quiet and private, and with 26 rooms in an Americana style — complete with showers, televisions, and air conditioners — you'll be one rested, comfy tourist. Rates start at $95 for single occupancy.
•318 W. 20th St., between Eighth and Ninth Aves.; 212-243-4499, chelsealodge.com
Chelsea Savoy Hotel
Not to be confused with its famous neighbor the Hotel Chelsea, amenities in this 89-roomer are pretty spare and the overall experience is not nearly as enchanting. But what it lacks in allure, it more than makes up in location and price (singles begin at $99, doubles at $135).
• 204 W. 23rd St., at Seventh Ave.; 212-929-9353, chelseasavoynyc.com.
Colonial House Inn
You wouldn't know it from the outside, but this charming Chelsea inn doubles as an art gallery. The lobby is home to The 24 Hours for Life Gallery, which has featured art by Keith Haring and proprietor Mel Cheren. Some rooms have mini-fridges and fireplaces, with all rooms boasting free satellite TV. There's a roof deck and the first floor lounge has Internet access. Rates start at $85 and include a continental breakfast.
• 318 W. 22nd St., between Eighth and Ninth Aves.; 212-243-9669, colonialhouseinn.com.
Apple Core Hotels
Apple Core's quintet of Midtown hotels lack flair but the rooms are clean, supply the basics, and come with complimentary breakfast. All locations have fitness and business centers, and the La Quinta has a great view of the Empire State Building from its year-round rooftop bar. Not a bad deal considering that doubles start at only $89.99.
• La Quinta, 17 W. 32nd St., between Broadway and Fifth Ave.; 212-736-1600
• Comfort Inn, 129 W. 46th St, between Sixth and Seventh Aves.; 212-221-2600
• Red Roof Inn, 6 W. 32nd St., between Broadway and Fifth Ave.; 212-643-7100
• Super 8, 59 W. 46th St., between Fifth and Sixth Aves.; 212-719-2300
• Ramada Inn, 161 Lexington Ave., at 30th St.; 212-545-1800
The Gershwin Hotel
A veritable arts epicenter unto itself, the quirky Gershwin boasts a pop art- festooned lobby with an actual Campbell's Soup can signed by Andy Warhol; rooms with an array of wall murals and art pieces. In addition to an eyeful of art, a stay here will get you Internet access, babysitting and dry cleaning services, and discounted parking upon request. Also, don't forget to ask about their specials and packages to get an even better deal. Rates start at $99.
• 7 E. 27th St., between Madison and Fifth Aves.; 212-545-8000, gershwinhotel.comMurray Hill Inn
There may be a few things a pricier hotel offers that this east side inn does not (for instance, an elevator). However, there aren't as many as you might think, as amenities here include air conditioned rooms, a 24-hour concierge, and daily maid service. Rooms start at only $89—just be sure to request one with a private bathroom.
• 143 E. 30th St., between Lexington and Third Aves.; 212-683-6900; murrayhillinn.com
Room with a view: Scenic style at the Bentley. Uptown
Bentley Hotel
We didn't think it was possible, but you can find uber-chic rooms with stunning river views on the Upper East Side for less than $150. Seasonal rates vary, but most of the year a standard overlooking the glittering Queensboro Bridge can be yours for the bargain price of $135. Oh, and be sure to save some time in your busy itinerary for a drink at the spectacular rooftop bar.
• 500 E. 62nd St., at York Ave.; 212-644-6000, nychotels.com.
Harlem Flophouse
Clean, beautifully-restored and historically-engaging, playwright and artist René Calvo's B&B celebrates its neighborhood's Renaissance. The good-sized rooms bear names like The Corky Hale, The Chester Himes and The Cozy Cole and décor such as an original pressed tin ceiling, beautiful claw-foot tub and large walnut dresser dotted with ancient cigarette holes. Singles go for $100 and doubles for $125, with discounts available for artistic brethern.
• 242 W. 123rd St., between Frederick Douglass Blvd. and Seventh Ave., 212-662-0678, harlemflophouse.com
Hotel Newton
This Upper West Sider makes a smart choice for travelers willing to lose some frills while still maintaining their dignity. The hotel's clean, kitsch-free rooms come with large bathrooms, basic amenities, and refined touches like cherry wood desks and headboards. Doubles start at $105 while suites—which can comfortably house four—will set you back at least $175.
• 2528 Broadway, between 94th and 95th Sts., 212-678-6500, thehotelnewton.com
Baisley House
This charming, modestly-priced 19th-century bed and breakfast is arrayed with owner Harry Paul's collection of Victoriana, with a meticulously assembled English rose garden to boot. Two doubles ($156.50 or $186.50) and one single ($128.50) are furnished completely with antiques and decorated with ecclesiastical art, although secular amenities like a TV, VCR and, thankfully, an air conditioner, offer 21st century comforts. Less modern is the communal bathroom, shared by all occupants on the second floor.
• 294 Hoyt St., between Sackett and Union Sts., 718-935-1959, brooklynx.org/tourism/baisleyhouse
Bed & Breakfast Marisa
Hidden on an unassuming, leafy street a few blocks north of Prospect Park, Marisa offers the choice of the garden-level apartment (a two-bedroom space with a living room, kitchen, private bathroom and a separate entrance) or one of the two guest rooms that share a common bathroom on the upper level. Décor is simple, understated and soothingly homey, heavily favoring wooden furniture stained in rich, earthy hues. Rates are equally lax, ranging from $95 to $130, plus discounts for extended stays.
• 288 Park Pl., between Vanderbilt and Underhill Aves., 718-399-9535, brooklynbedandbreakfast.net
Union Street Bed & Breakfast
At this Carroll Gardens brownstone, less than a block from Smith St.'s restaurant row, each of the six guest rooms is identified by its dominating color scheme. There are two rooms with queen beds and two large rooms with two beds each, that begin at $150 per night and decrease based on the length of stay, as well as two significantly smaller rooms at $100.
• 405 Union Street, between Smith and Hoyt Sts., 718-852-8406, unionstbrooklynbandb.com
Better Rates Online
Before you call hotel reservations directly, check the
web. You can often find better rates for the same room online.
You won't have as much control over the room you get if
you choose the online route, but you'll save money. Here
are a few favorites places to find better rates:
• Expedia.com
• Orbitz.com
• Hotels.com
• Travelocity.com
• Best New York City Hotels
New York City Hotel Deals
New York Travel Book: Hotels Under $100


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A whopping 53% of the surveyed audience has ranked troubleshooting and finding the root cause of the problem in a cloud application as their top challenge. EMA Research brings to light many such interesting facts and figures in this infographic which describes the challenges faced by organizations in managing today's business ready applications. Read More >>
This white paper discusses the new challenges faced by organizations in managing virtual environments and why IT teams need to look beyond traditional monitoring tools if they are to overcome these challenges. This paper also discusses the virtualization monitoring capabilities of ManageEngine Applications Manager and how it can be effectively utilized to manage virtual environments. Read More >>
Today's businesses increasingly use software applications that run in a wide variety of environments, everything from physical to virtual to cloud. As organizations look for ways to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase scalability, cloud computing and virtualization are playing a vital part in their IT strategies. Read More >>
Enterprise applications need high scalability to cater to a large end user base. The top issues faced by IT Teams in these organizations are monitoring uptime and ensuring good performance for their business applications. To resolve these problems, enterprises need to make strategic investments in end-to-end application performance management tools. Read More >>
Issues with the performance of business-critical applications can cause deterioration of an organization's business performance. Slow or not readily available applications that support key business processes can cause revenue loss, and decline in customer satisfaction, employee productivity or brand reputation. Read More >>
Organizations are becoming increasingly interested in leveraging cloud computing services to improve flexibility and scalability of the IT services delivered to end users. However, organizations using cloud computing services face the following challenge - decreased visibility into the performance of services. Read More >>
Back in 2006, organizations were still predominantly using network uptime measurements to evaluate how well they were doing when delivering business critical data to end-users. The basic fact that the computer network is up or down doesn't really tell organizations if their IT teams are able to ensure seamless delivery of applications to end-users. Read More >>
Organizations are increasingly striving to improve their utilization of their enterprise infrastructures and to provide their IT teams with tools allowing them to gain more management flexibility when delivering business-critical data to end-users. One of the key strategies that organizations are implementing to achieve this goal is virtualization of their servers, storage, and desktops. Read More >>
Any webmaster knows how irritating it feels to be notified at 2 AM that their website is not accessible. Home pages being too slow or irate users who are unable to complete their web transactions are detrimental to business. What webmasters need are tools that help them monitor critical parameters of their websites and help ease their day-to-day activities. Read More >>
Do you feel helpless when there is an application upgrade in your enterprise? Are you equipped for the triage that follows when production applications fail? Many enterprise administrators share the same problem. Enterprises depend heavily on IT to drive their businesses. Read More >>

subset: commoncrawl


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Fox News' Inevitable, Full-On Birther Embrace
Written by Eric Boehlert
Finally, the birther stars are aligned.
Donald Trump is mounting a furious media tour on the conspiracy's behalf. Fox News is doing its best to prop up the fringe scheme, and dedicated birther detective Jerome Corsi is rolling out a new ad campaign in advance of his new birther book.
Busy fighting the last war, key segments of right-wing media, with a major assist from Fox News, have gone full-on birther, selling the zombie conspiracy that refuses to die.
And this isn't Birther Lite, the noxious brand of nonsense Mike Huckabee got caught promoting this month. That's the slightly less offensive, but equally sweeping, attack on the president that concedes Obama was born in the United States, but he's nonetheless foreign, or foreign influenced, to the point of having un-American worldview.
Instead, what Fox News is now sponsoring is straight-up, Obama-wasn't-born-in-America nonsense. That, despite the fact that birtherism was previously, and accurately, condemned by conservative pundits who insisted the fuzzy pursuit made their side look nutty. ("To any sane human being, there is no controversy.")
But now, increasingly desperate for rhetorical ammunition to hit Obama with, more and more outlets are cheering the birther comeback; a comeback that reveals more about bankrupt Obama-haters than it does the current president and that says more about a right-wing media movement that feels comfortable wallowing in easily disprovable, half-baked falsehoods than it does about the supposedly malignant target, Obama.
Why birtherism now, when so many media conservatives warned against elevating the dopey conspiracy? Easy. The cupboard was bare. The GOP Noise Machine has grown so ferocious in its appetite and so committed to feeding its loyal followers a never-ending diet of Obama-hating rhetoric and attacks, that it was just a matter of time before birtherism was served up, unapologetically, as an entry. It's simply the latest serving, the latest offering, from the Obama-hating menu. Meaning, the short-term satisfaction of wallowing in the dark conspiracy about Obama's possible African past won out over any common sense objections.
Remember, this is a movement that, despite a weekly avalanche of relentless attacks against the president, hasn't been able to move the needle on Obama's approval rating in nearly 18 months. (CBS News poll, Dec., 2009, 49 percent; CBS News poll, March, 2011, 49 percent.) Constantly foraging for juicy attacks has become a paramount pursuit.
Obviously, the recent emergence of Trump in his loudmouth role as birther conduit –as birther minstreamer—is driving the latest boomlet. (Lou Dobbs once had that conduit job for CNN; it didn't work out.) What's telling is the degree to which Trump has been hailed as a right-wing hero in recent days, and the degree to which Fox News won't stop hyping Trump's' attacks. It simply illustrates how birtherism never really died (despite previous predictions to the country.) It's just been waiting for another resurrection. And this time, Fox News decided to go all in and lend its corporate support to the burned-out, backward looking conspiracy.
Two years ago, with Bill O'Reilly out front condemning the birther allegations as "bogus," and Glenn Beck on the radiodenouncing birthers as "idiots" from the "fringe elements," it would have been inconceivable for Fox News to endorse the hackneyed conspiracy as energetically, and overtly, as it has in the last week. (Fox's previous birther cheerleading was more of the dip-the-toe-and-even-ankle variety, albeit repeatedly.)
Yet behold, today it's full-on birtherism for all to see.
Doocy: Birth Certificate Produced By Obama's Campaign "Is Not The Exact Birth Certificate"
"Where's The Birth Certificate?" Fox's Kilmeade Hosts Obama Conspiracist Jack Cashill
Hannity Says It's "Not True" That Obama Has Shown His Birth Certificate
Broken Record: Hannity Asks, "Why Can't They Just Release The Birth Certificate?"
Note the truly baffling timing of this Return of the Birther production. The Middle East is grappling with generational change, Japan is still struggling with seismic devastation, and the United States just helped launch military action against Libya. Yet against that backdrop, Fox News has decided that the dead-and-buried 'news' about Barack Obama's birth certificate deserves ongoing, primetime attention, and that every bungled, recycled claim Trump makes about Obama's birther certificate now passes as news.
That's the focus?
What's also telling, in terms of the complete bankruptcy on display, is that (surprise!) there is no news driving the birther comeback. Trump certainly hasn't uncovered any new information. Despite his hollow assertion on Fox that "all of a sudden, lot of facts are emerging," the current resurgence simply revolves around the fact that Trump is going on TV and saying, in a very 2007 kind of way, 'Show us the birth certificate.' That's it. That's the so-called angle now in play and being hyped by Fox News and other far-right media sources: Trump mentioned birtherism on TV!
The fact that right-wing bloggers consider Trump's embrace of birtherism to be a P.R. coup for the cause is just sad (he's a"bold new voice"!) and shows how out of touch they are with mainstream America. Seriously, pretending TV egomaniac Donald Trumps speaks for the Silent Majority and he's finally summoned the courage to say what so many other anxious voters wished they had?
And talk about fighting the last war! If Americans didn't think Obama was born in the United States or if they thought he was foreign and not like you and me, they wouldn't have voted him into office in an electoral landslide. Meaning, this birther nonsense was already brought up and American voters overwhelmingly rejected it.
So the logical Fox New response three years after the electoral landslide when birtherism was utterly ignored?
Resurrect it.


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A lot of money is about to be pumped into providing for the needed infrastructure to allow high-speed Internet access on most of the Eastern Shore.
While there's no disputing state and federal governments often make poor choices on how to distribute public funds, this is certainly not one of those instances. As a matter of fact, this is an excellent use of state and federal funds as far as the shore goes and it comes as a bit of a surprise that it's this much money this soon in what was expected to be a long-term process.
Last Monday was a good day for this effort. It was announced that $3.2 million in federal funding was earmarked for the Maryland Broadband Cooperative from a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant. The money will largely be used to provide broadband access in towns like Pocomoke, Snow Hill, Berlin and Selbyville, Del. and points in between before meeting up with another phase of the project in Wicomico County. Later on, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley announced an advance of $2 million for the second phase of a rural broadband initiative to install high-speed cable from Salisbury to the Bay Bridge. The first phase connected NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility to Salisbury last month.
As difficult as it is to believe in today's world, there are businesses, as well as residents and schools, functioning without broadband Internet access on the shore. It's equally embarrassing as it is troubling, and it will never be known how many business opportunities have been lost as a result of it not being available in many areas of the shore already.
When this project is all completed and the entire shore is properly wired for technology, it's the hope of many that more businesses will begin to consider the shore as a place to operate. The impact of that could trickle down far and wide, from the obvious in economics to the less evident in perhaps keeping the young and bright on the shore after they finish their schooling.
The idea of keeping local high school and college graduates on the shore employed in a field of their choice has long been a goal of local elected officials as well as parents. That will not happen overnight. The shore is still extremely limited as far as industry choices and pay scales, but this new broadband initiative is perhaps the biggest success story to date on that front and may make a huge difference.
The idea is provide the necessary infrastructure for them to be successful and prosper and the businesses will come eventually. With that will come a new labor pool and a steady growth in population and all segments on the shore. This sound philosophy has worked in many areas of the country, and there's no reason to think it can't happen here on the shore, a place people want to work, live and play.
It's critical to make sure the shore keeps up with technology and is able to provide its communities – both residential and commercial – the opportunities to succeed. Due to its rural nature and the constant tussle for equitable funding, it will always be a struggle for counties like Worcester, but this broadband initiative, bolstered by the recent funding announcements, goes a long way toward making it much easier in the future.


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Methinks it's a mistake.
I've seen it happen twice at Shark Reef - once when two Bulls homed in simultaneously on a Tuna head falling from the suspended bin, once when there was a bit of a kerfuffle about who would first get a head from Rusi. Both Sharks were bitten on the head, with everybody hearing a loud crunch - but they appeared rather unfazed and continued feeding, and did turn back up on subsequent days.
Anyway, lucky, spectacular footage!


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The 4 Components of Computer Injury Prevention
When addressing injury prevention for computer users, four components need to be attended to in order to ensure success. Here are the four Es that will provide a well-rounded ergonomic program along with links to additional information.
- Ergonomics – Ergonomics provides the optimal environment in which the body works. Ergonomics places the body in the most efficient and least stressful working positions. Without an appropriate ergonomic environment, the body will be at constant risk for injury.
- Exercise – Warming-up muscles prepares them for work. Warming-up increases blood and oxygen flow to the muscles and increases the muscle flexibility. Stretching ensures that the muscle is able to contract and work to its fullest efficiency without placing stress at the point that the muscle or tendon unit attaches to the bone.
- Education – The work environment can be perfect but the equipment loses its effectiveness if it is not used appropriately. Training programs must be developed to support ergonomic programs.
- Typing Style - Repetitive Injuries are NOT just about the Keyboard
- Pain-Free Mousing
- Monitor Position & Ergonomic Tips
- Energy – Our body's potential to produce work is a component of our fitness, health and well-being. Practicing general healthy habits will help our bodies heal from the everyday wear-and-tear and help prevent the micro-trauma that leads to repetitive injuries.
Marji Hajic is an Occupational Therapist and a Certified Hand Therapist practicing at the Hand Therapy & Occupational Fitness Center in Santa Barbara, California. For more information on hand and upper extremity injuries, prevention and recovery, visit Hand Health Resources.


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Posted March 17, 2013
Turn Here: GPS Tracking Gaining Acceptance
In the early days, employees feared that GPS monitoring was a form of 'Big Brother' watching, but workers are becoming more accepting of tracking since companies are no longer just using the information as a threat to ensure workers stay on course.
By CAREN CHESLER
Field technicians working for Healthcare Receivable Specialists Inc. go to the homes of hospital patients and help them fill out paperwork to obtain Medicaid. Because they're on the road all day, the company installed GPS software called Xora StreetSmart on their cell phones in order to keep track of where they go, when they stop and why. So when Lydia Cooper, a corporate training supervisor there, noticed one of her employees was taking an oddly circuitous route to his patients and making frequent stops without explanation, she asked why. He revealed that while working for her, he was also working as a truant officer for a local school district. He was promptly fired.
"I'm not going to pay someone while they're working for someone else," Cooper says.
In the seven years since the Philadelphia-based company began monitoring its 70 field workers, Cooper has seen employees go to shopping malls, doctor appointments and one even took exercises classes three mornings a week. To avoid being tracked, some would intentionally fail to charge their phone. Others would leave it in the car. But as each employee was reprimanded or fired, and new people who understood the firm's tracking policies were hired, the company has doubled its productivity, Cooper says.
"I think everyone we have right now is onboard with the system," she says.
It's not new that companies are using GPS to keep tabs on employees. What's new is that employees, for the most part, aren't complaining about it anymore. When companies first began using the technology during the past decade, there was a backlash with cries of "Big Brother" and invasion of privacy. Workers feared their bosses would continue to monitor them on their free time. But as GPS monitoring has become the rule and not the exception, employees have had no choice but to jump onboard—or risk having no job at all.
From UPS Inc. to the Geese Police in New Jersey—a firm that dispatches trained border collies to get rid of Canada geese—to school districts in Norman, Oklahoma, organizations that have staff or vehicles out on the road all day are increasingly turning to GPS devices to monitor their operations. Technology research firm Aberdeen Group conducted two studies last year into companies with field employees and found that 62 percent of the respondents said they were using GPS to track staff. That number was closer to 30 percent in 2008, the firm said.
Employees have also become less resistant as companies have expanded the way they use GPS data. Early on, the technology was used largely as a tracking tool, and there were punitive ramifications if employees or their vehicles weren't where they were supposed to be. That's why it had a "Big Brother" connotation, says Sumair Dutta, an Aberdeen analyst. But as organizations have put the employee location information to other uses, like making sure drivers are taking the most direct routes to their destinations, or tracking how long a salesman stays on a sales call to see if there's a correlation between "length of call" and "likelihood of sale," employees are seeing the information isn't solely meant to be a threat. In some cases, companies are showing workers how the technology can also be used to their benefit, if, say, a customer claims a technician didn't show up when in fact the GPS system shows otherwise.
"We are seeing less resistance to GPS tracking," Dutta says.
Demographics have also helped. As a new wave of younger, more social-media friendly employees joins the workforce, resistance to GPS has declined, given that these employees tend to broadcast their whereabouts readily anyway. The impact of this demographic change will take a while to filter through, but there definitely will be less resistance from the workforce in the future, analysts say.
"More people are taking locationing for granted on their personal mobile devices, and it's diluted the potential threat of it in the workforce," says Jeanine Sterling, senior industry analyst for mobile and wireless communications at Frost & Sullivan. "We think it's the biggest dynamic that took the heat out of this position over the last few years."
Most of the resistance these days is in pockets: It is strongest in smaller companies and in the construction field, Sterling says. Frost & Sullivan surveyed about 300 mobile and wireless purchase decision-makers last year and found that about 63 percent said they would be buying mobile software applications to track their employees. Only 37 percent—and most of them were small companies—said they would not. And the top reason cited was not privacy or other employee-related concerns but rather that they did not feel they needed it at this time. Just 6 percent of those surveyed cited worker privacy as a purchase barrier, Sterling says.
"Smaller companies tend to be where employers are still concerned about privacy, and employees are still resisting," Sterling says. "These companies are saying, 'We don't want the hassle. We're not going to do this.' We say, this is a generational issue, and it's going to fade away on its own in the next few years."
For Healthcare Receivable Specialists, it has taken some finessing to get workers accustomed to being tracked. Some employees were told they could work things like doctors' appointments into their schedule, without having to clock out, so long as they tell their supervisor ahead of time. Some were given performance-based bonuses or promotions as long as their productivity went up. Others were allowed to work from home on days they didn't have to be out on the road.
"When you have a good field rep, it's a person who works well without supervision. And they want to feel like they can be trusted. So we had to work things out with a lot of those people," Cooper says.


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Let me get back into the blogging swing with a (too long—this is why I can't handle Twitter, folks) reflection on an offhand comment. Don't worry, there's some data stuff in the pipe, maybe including some long-delayed playing with topic models.
Even at the NEH's Digging into Data conference last weekend, one commenter brought out one of the standard criticisms of digital work—that it doesn't tell us anything we didn't know before. The context was some of Gregory Crane's work in describing shifting word use patterns in Latin over very long time spans (2000 years) at the Perseus Project: Cynthia Damon, from Penn, worried that "being able to represent this as a graph instead by traditional reading is not necessarily a major gain." That is to say, we already know this; having a chart restate the things any classicist could tell you is less than useful. I might have written down the quote wrong; it doesn't really matter, because this is a pretty standard response from humanists to computational work, and Damon didn't press the point as forcefully as others do. Outside the friendly confines of the digital humanities community, we have to deal with it all the time.


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For most of us old enough to remember, the Beatles' introduction to the United States 50 years ago this month begins and ends with Ed Sullivan and a grainy, black-and-white TV screen.
Not so for Steve McManus, 67, of Saco. He actually crashed the party.
"If you think it's interesting enough, I'd be glad to fill you in with all of the details," offered McManus in an email last week.
Do tell, Mr. McManus, do tell …
It was Feb. 16, 1964. One week to the day after the Beatles electrified the nation with their first performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in New York City, they were in Miami Beach for an encore appearance with Sullivan on a show to be broadcast live from the waterfront Deauville Hotel.
McManus was 17, a senior at Fort Lauderdale High School. He worked part time as a bagger at the local Publix Supermarket along with his best buddies, Bob Saxon and John Kreitner.
But on this particular Sunday, the three boys found themselves barreling 30 miles south to Miami Beach in a 1958 Chevy Impala, white with all-red interior, they'd borrowed from John's sister.
Their mission?
"We just wanted to see what all this hype about the Beatles was all about," said Steve.
They arrived just after noon. A dress rehearsal for the evening show was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and already, the line – almost all trembling teenage girls – stretched for several blocks south of the Deauville Hotel entrance on Collins Avenue.
The three boys waded through the crowd if only to soak in the spectacle for a while. Tickets to rehearsal, let alone the live TV performance that evening, were nowhere to be found.
That is until two older women, apparently there to see headliner Mitzi Gaynor perform, got tired of the hot sun and the mayhem and approached Steve, Bob and John.
"We're leaving," one of them announced. "Here, boys, do you want these two tickets?"
"So here we are, three guys with two tickets and we never even got to the point of trying to decide who was going to make the sacrifice and not go in," recalled Steve. "We didn't even know what the inside of the hotel looked like, but we couldn't imagine that many people fitting inside there."
Good call. Local merchants had handed out far more complimentary tickets than there were seats available in the Deauville's Napoleon Ballroom, leading to a near-riot when police stopped letting people in as dress rehearsal time approached.
But back to the boys.
Heading north on Collins Avenue past the hotel entrance, they spied a service alley leading down to a basement-level set of gray doors. Doors which, upon taking a closer look, they discovered were unlocked.
"So we went right in and found ourselves in the kitchen," Steve said. "John was in the lead, so we just followed him."
No one in the bustling kitchen blinked an eye. ("Maybe they thought we were dishwashers or something," said Steve.) Finally, the trio came to another door and walked out into a small subterranean shopping area with a small clothing store, a gift shop, a magazine shop and a uniformed Miami police officer at every stairwell, elevator and exit.
The place was in total lockdown.
Now what?
The boys lingered in the magazine store – each buying an 8-by-10 glossy, shot just the night before, of the hotel manager mugging with the Fab Four out by the hotel pool. They checked out the overpriced bathing suits. Almost an hour passed and, much to their pleasant surprise, nobody gave them the heave-ho.
"I don't even remember the police making eye contact with us," Steve said. "They must have figured we were hotel guests or something because we weren't trying to get in. We were in!"
The problem was the elevators up to the main lobby were off limits, as was the stairway. But then something miraculous happened.
"This old guy comes down the stairs from what must have been the pool," Steve said. "He's dressed in a big white bathrobe, he's got a bald head and he's smoking a cigar. He must have been somebody – he had two guys with him – a guy on each side."
And he was headed straight toward Steve, Bob and John.
"You guys want to see the Beatles, don't you!" the guy barked, acting like he owned the place.
"Yeah!" responded the boys in unison.
"Follow me."
Up the elevator they rode to the main lobby. As the door slid open, the boys stared open-mouthed at the throng of teenyboppers straining against the police line and velvet ropes just inside the main entrance, begging to be let in.
"Get these kids over to the ballroom," ordered the bathrobed benefactor through his clenched cigar.
"Yes, sir," the bellhop replied.
"So the bellhop escorts us across the big lobby, right in front of all these people, right up to the entrance to the ballroom, where they have more guys with more velvet ropes," said Steve.
No questions asked, the gatekeepers beckoned the boys under the ropes, whisked them through the doors and suddenly there they stood, open-mouthed, in the pin-drop silent ballroom.
"We're all by ourselves. Not a soul in the room," said Steve. "The stage is all set up. There are big TV monitors in the corners and it's just the three of us. No one else."
Then all hell broke loose.
The crowd rushed in, Steve remembers to this day, "like a wave hitting a beach." And Steve, Bob and John rode that wave – actually, it was more like running for their lives – all the way to the front row, less than 20 feet from the stage.
Mitzi Gaynor, the comedy duo Allen & Rossi, The Volantes unicycling act … that stuff's just a blur.
John, Paul, George and Ringo? They're forever burned on Steve's brain.
"The place just went crazy," he said. "Girls screaming, crying, fainting. To my left was this young woman up on a guy's shoulders. It was unbelievable, I'm feeling it in my chest even as I talk about it right now. It was extremely exciting."
Sullivan actually thought he could control the crowd with a predetermined set of hand signals. Yeah, right. Every moment the Beatles were visible – even when George Harrison playfully peeked out from behind the curtain as Sullivan issued his pre-show instructions – produced pure pandemonium.
The Beatles sang "She Loves You," "This Boy," "All My Lovin'," "I Saw Her Standing There," "From Me to You," and the red-hot "I Want to Hold Your Hand."
Through it all, Steve, Bob and John sat there, as if in a dream, sensing even as it unfolded that this moment was larger than the sum of its parts.
"Suddenly, we knew what this Beatlemania was all about," said Steve. "If you were standing there, you couldn't help but feel it."
Echoed Bob Saxon in an interview from Florida on Friday, "I have to admit we were pretty caught up in it. Three geeky guys sitting in the front row, 15 feet from John Lennon."
Steve eventually joined the Navy, met and married his wife, Rose (who's from East Benton), and moved to Maine in 1976. He's now retired after a career in architectural design and drafting.
Bob, 66, stayed put in Fort Lauderdale and, as president of International Yacht Collection, has become a big shot in yachting the world over.
John Kreitner, 67, also still in Fort Lauderdale, is a retired mailman.
They keep in touch to this day – Steve and Bob spoke by phone within hours of John Lennon's murder in 1980.
"We saw him," Steve told Bob. "He actually looked at us while he was singing that day."
Now for the truly maddening part: To a man, none of them can recall what happened to the pair of unused tickets the two kind ladies gave them just before fate took over. Tickets which, based on Steve's perusal of eBay last week, could now fetch upward of $10,000 apiece in a supercharged Beatles memorabilia market.
"The best we can figure is that John might have tossed them in the trash on the way out of the lobby," Steve said. "If only I'd known."
Still, if it's any consolation, the tickets are only slips of paper. In the end, they had nothing to do with the still-vivid memory of the day three supermarket bag boys piled out of a '58 Chevy, sneaked through an open door and stumbled upon history in the making.
Go ahead, eBay. Try putting a price tag on that.
Bill Nemitz can be contacted at 791-6323 or at:
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It's the greatest force in publishing today, with the power to raise authors from the dead (Leo Tolstoy) or crucify them on the national stage (James Frey). The all-powerful Oprah Book Club is not so much a club as a ruthlessly influential marketing vehicle, with the power to fundamentally alter best-seller lists, Amazon rankings and royalty payments. Sure, the "club" has 2 million "members" and a web site that provides a space for users to share thoughts on featured titles, read excerpts and get advice like, "How to Read a Hard Book." But in the 12 years Oprah's Book Club has existed, its significance has been from the perspective of authors and editors, at least not its sense of community, but its influence on sales, which has been known to increase a print run fivefold.
So by the time Oprah Winfrey announced publicly on Sept. 19 that her club's newest title would be The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a book about a mute boy and his dogs by a first-time novelist albeit a critical darling its publisher had already ordered 750,000 "Oprah versions" from the printers. Boxes of these freshly minted tomes, with the Oprah's Book Club seal affixed to the covers and a unique ISBN number to ensure accurate tracking of sales were already on their way to bookstores across the country. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by software designer David Wroblewski, debuted at #14 on the New York Times fiction bestseller list with an initial print run of 26,000 and crept up to #2; it will be #1 on the list published October 5.
"The best novel I've read in a long, long, long, long time...a literary feast of a book," Winfrey gushed on her show, saying it deserved to enter the cannon alongside works by John Steinbeck and Harper Lee.
"Having an Oprah Book Club selection is pretty much like the pinnacle for the industry," says Michael McKenzie, publicity director for Ecco, the small HarperCollins imprint that published The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.
Not everyone agrees. After Winfrey picked Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections in 2001, the author said he had never seen her show and the thought of his book having "that logo of corporate ownership on it" dismayed him. "[S]he's picked enough schmaltzy, one-dimensional ones that I cringe," said Franzen at the time. Winfrey's reaction was swift: she rescinded an invitation for Franzen to appear on her show. (The Corrections stayed in the club; Franzen, chastened perhaps by his publisher, thanked Oprah in his acceptance speech when the novel won the National Book Award.)
The talk show host said Franzen "was not even a blip on the radar screen of my life," although by 2003, she switched from picking contemporary books to classic titles, including John Steinbeck's East of Eden and Gabriel Garcí]a Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. Winfrey's picks boosted sales: Penguin ordered 800,000 more copies of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina after the 19th-Century Russian novel got the nod. But much of the publishing industry was dismayed at missing the chance to hitch their latest books and their profits to Oprah's train. It didn't help that the classics she picked didn't make for great television, the way contemporary authors did who had the telegenic advantage of being alive.
Winfrey too said she didn't like being hemmed in by restrictions on what she could endorse, so in 2005, she announced her first contemporary pick in three years with A Million Little Pieces, James Frey's presumed memoir of addiction and recovery. Pieces sales skyrocketed, and while the attention undoubtedly padded Frey's pockets and those of his publishers, it also shone enough light on the controversial book that the author was forced to admit he had embellished and even made up some of its most compelling passages. Hell hath no fury, of course, like a TV megacelebrity scorned, and while Winfrey initially said she stood by Frey, she took the stage of her talk show to announce: "I made a mistake and I left the impression that the truth does not matter. And I am deeply sorry about that, because that is not what I believe." That disavowal (and her subsequent excoriation of Frey in person on the show in early 2006) helped trash his reputation as a writer; the publisher offered refunds for A Million Little Pieces while his subsequent book, 2008's Bright Shiny Morning, was firmly labeled a novel.
In 2006, Winfrey chose just one book for her club: Night, Elie Wiesel's somber Holocaust chronicle. After that, she picked five books in 2007 and two so far this year: A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.
Since her club debuted in 1996, Winfrey who personally chooses which books to endorse and does not financially benefit has invited 66 titles into her club. Introducing the first book, The Deep End of the Ocean by first-time novelist Jacquelyn Mitchard, Winfrey told her audience, "When I was growing up, books were my friends. When I didn't have friends, I had books. And one of the greatest pleasures I have right now in life is to be reading a really good book and to know I have a really, really good book after that book to read." Publishers and authors can only hope theirs is the one she's talking about.
(Click here to see TIME's list of the 100 best novels of all time)


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Tiny soot particles given off in the smoke from fires can be lofted high into the atmosphere. These soot, or "black carbon", particles influence Earth's climate. They absorb incoming sunlight high in the atmosphere, heating the atmosphere while also cooling Earth's surface beneath because of the decrease in solar energy that reaches the planet's surface. The soot particles can also serve as cloud condensation nuclei - the "seeds" around which water droplets in clouds condense - and in so doing further influence climate by fostering the formation of clouds that would not otherwise develop. Such soot comes from both natural sources, such as wildfires, and from human-generated sources, such as coal-fired power plants or internal combustion engines in cars and trucks. In this case, the smoke is from oil well fires in Kuwait in the wake of the 1991 war in the Persian Gulf.
Image courtesy of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.


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The decision to resume Indo-Pak bilateral cricketing ties is likely to clear the decks for top Pakistan cricketers to again be a part of auctions in the cash-rich Indian Premier League.
After the Working Committee cleared the three ODI and two T20 series against Pakistan, there has been a growing feeling among the BCCImembers that Pakistan players should now be allowed to play in the IPL.
A proposal in this regard may be tabled when the working committee meets next.
"It's bad luck that Champions League T20 has been shifted to South Africa or else Sialkot Stallions would have played here before the national team. Now with government also giving go-ahead, the general feeling among members is that Pakistan players should be allowed to be part of next IPL auctions," a senior BCCI working committee member preferring anonymity said on Monday.
"If you follow the trend, a positive decision will certainly be on cards when the working committee meets next time. It wasn't for any reason that PCB president Zaka Ashraf had been invited to watch the IPL final," the official added.
The Pakistan players were a part of IPL 1 with Sohail Tanveer, playing for Rajasthan Royals, getting the 'Purple Cap'.
Shaid Afridi, Umar Gul, Mohammed Hafeez and Umar Akmal will be some of the sought after players if the BCCI agrees to open doors for Pakistan players.


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- Custom Responsive Website(SEO Friendly) with Ordering Platform
- Custom Branded Mobile App - iOS
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- Order Management System – Fax, Email, Tablet, or Web
- Complete Content Writing
Have us develop a brand new, fully customized website for your restaurant. Your branding, your logo, your colors, we will make sure your new website is everything you want and more!
Websites and Mobile Apps built by The Fast Bite are all built with our commission free online ordering platform. That's right, all of the money from every transaction goes directly into your bank account, we don't take a cut.
Mobile apps are the future; your customers will thank you when you get a custom built mobile app for your restaurant built by The Fast Bite. Let your customers order how they want, where they want.


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For most, the mere images of sharks conjure up nightmares and scenes of horror (partly thanks to Steven Speilberg's factually incorrect movie – Jaws), and definitely something to avoid.
However, to a diver, sharks are some of the most beautiful creatures and one that's to be protected and to be adored, preferably up close and personal. Lucky me, I got to do that just a while back right here in KL.
Aquaria KLCC Shark in the City Cage Rage launch
It all got started a few months ago when I was invited to the Shark in the City – Cage Rage launch at Aquaria KLCC from Dato' Simon Foong, the owner of the aquarium who is also a Twitter user with the handle @Aquaria_KLCC. We "converse" via Twitter on numerous occasions, and that's how I got to know the good dato.
Aquaria KLCC is truly a world class aquarium, right in the middle of the city
While Aquaria has been allowing certified divers to dive in the main tank for quite a while now, Cage Rage allows even non-divers to experience the thrill of being in the water with the sharks (behind a cage with protective panel, using a breathing pipe and mask instead of scuba gears)
Knowing that I'm an avid diver, Dato' Simon then extended a coupon for me to dive at the aquarium, and I finally did it a few weeks ago, and here's how it went.
above the main tank, just prior to diving
An appointment is strongly recommended, and I made mine a few days prior to the dive. On the day itself, there was another diver, Omar, who came to do the same thing.
We were first shown two short videos showcasing the creatures we are going to meet, then the dive masters gave us a briefing about the dos and don'ts as well as the dive plan.
Then we were off to the main tank! Check out the video above for the highlights of my dive, complete with soothing music for your pleasure. Yes, you are welcome.
the magnificent sand tiger shark at Aquaria KLCC
The dive itself was chilling and thrilling. Chilling cos the water is at around 24-25 Celsius instead of the more common 28-29 Celsius in local water (the sharks actually prefer even colder water, but it's a compromise with other tropical fish in the tank), and thrilling because there's all those huge predators you are swimming with.
we are in the tank! and became part of the exhibit
The big boys were definitely the sand tiger sharks, they look real bad ass but mostly just kept to themselves, showing only minimal interest to the divers. There's also the inquisitive giant grouper than probably weigh more than me, beautiful leopard shark (one that we had hoped to see at Similan Islands trip), the graceful giant blotch fantail stingray, the speedy cow nose ray, moray eel, and much more. It was a feast for the eyes, never would you see such a collection in a single dive.
giant grouper, sand tiger shark, moray eel, leopard shark
The dive costs RM 400 per person per dive and lasts about 45 minutes to an hour underwater (or as long as you can stand the cold), bottom depth is only a few meters and so it is very safe. You must be able to navigate fairly well in the water as the tank isn't open ocean and can be fairly restrictive.
Overall though, it was a great experience, and one that i'd recommend to anyone who wants to get up close to them big sharks, or to wet your bones during off seasons.
Now maybe it's time to plan the next dive trip!


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Don McKellar – Last Night (1998)
Don McKellar wrote and directed this comedy-drama about the last night of the world, part of the 12-film Arte series of movies about the Millennium. Set in Toronto, Patrick (McKellar) endures a faux Christmas celebration with his family while Sandra (Sandra Oh) tries to get across town to commit suicide with her husband, a gas company employee Duncan (David Cronenberg). Meanwhile, Craig (Callum Keith Rennie) hopes to achieve sexual satisfaction with several women on his list. Still mourning his dead wife, Patrick plans his last moments alone, until he and Sandra crosspaths. Shown in the Directors Fortnight section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
1.77GB | 1h 34m | 1024×556 | mkv


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OCEAN CITY- The Green Turtle Lacrosse Club-Eastern Shore will be holding tryouts for this year's summer Travel Teams on Sunday, February 19th, at Sea Gull Stadium on the campus of Salisbury University.
The Greene Turtle Lacrosse Club-Eastern Shore offers highly competitive high school lacrosse players an opportunity within a select program to strive for their personal best and to aid in the college recruiting process for the high school lacrosse player. Try-outs are open to ALL players currently in high school or entering the 9th grade in the fall of 2012.
Players are asked to check in at 11 a.m. and must provide their own equipment including a mouth piece and jersey. Registration fee before February 13 will be $25 and registration after that date will be $35. For more information including registration forms please access the club's website www.gtlaxclub.com.


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7.8. ( MASQ and Dynamic IPs ) - Does IP Masquerade work with dynamically assigned IP addresses?
Yes, it works with either dynamic IP addressed assigned by your ISP via either PPP or a DHCP server (common for Cablemodem and DSL users). As long as you have a valid Internet IP address, it should work. Of course, static IPs work too. If you plan on implementing a strong IPTABLES, IPCHAINS, or IPFWADM ruleset and/or plan on using a Port forwarder, your ruleset will have to be re-executed everytime your IP address changes.
So, re-running the rc-firewall-* ruleset really depends on which method you get your IP addresses:
PPP: The /etc/ppp/ip-up script is always run when a PPP connection comes up. Because of this, we can make the rc.firewall-* go get the new PPP IP address and update the firewall ruleset. If the /etc/ppp/ip-up file doesn't exist or if does exists, simply edit that file and append a line containing the name of your chosen firewall ruleset. For example, to run the SIMPLE IPTABLES ruleset:
DHCP: If you get your IP address via DHCP, common for Cablemodem and DSL users, it's easy get the rc.firewall-* ruleset to run when you get a new IP lease. How this happens depends on what DHCP client your distribution uses:
dhclient : Most modern Linux distributions use dhclient from ISC. To re-run your specific rc-firewall-* script when your system gets a new IP address, add the following line to the /etc/dhclient-exit-hooks file. Please note that this example is loging the SIMPLE IPTABLES ruleset. Please use the correct rc.firewall-* name for your specific setup:
pump : Many older Redhat distributions use this DHCP client. To re-run the rc-firewall-* script when your system gets a new IP address, add the following line to the /etc/pump.conf file. Please note that this example is loading the SIMPLE IPTABLES ruleset. Please use the correct rc.firewall-* name for your specific setup:
script /etc/rc.d/rc.firewall-iptables
dhcpcd : Many older distros use this DHCP client. To re-run the rc-firewall-* script when your system gets a new IP address depends on which verion of dhcpcd you're using.
For newer dhcpcd client versions, append the following line to the /etc/dhcpcd-[interface].exe file. Please note that you have to replace the [interface] text with the name of your Interface connecting to the Internet. For this example, we are going run the SIMPLE IPTABLES ruleset against the eth0 interface by editing the /etc/dhcpc/dhcpcd-eth0.exe file:
For old dhcpcd client versions, you need to figure out what script starts up dhcpcd (depends on the Linux distribution and it's version). From there, you need to replace the specific dhcpcd line with the folling line with the correct Internet-facing interface name. For this example, dhcpcd will run the SIMPLE IPTABLES ruleset against the eth0 interface:
dhcpcd -c /etc/rc.d/rc.firewall eth0
Please also see the top of TrinityOS - Section 10 for additional help with strong firewall rulesets and Dynamic IP addresses.


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Your Theme
You must have this page (admin:themes) on your wiki for this theme to work,
By editing the code-box below, you will be able to tweak the default settings of the theme. Also, there is instructions on how to easily compensate for a different sized logo (please see here first).
@import url(http://themes.wikidot.com/monodot/code/1); /********* Change these values depending on the size of your logo (DELETE THIS LINE). #header h1 a,#header h1 a:hover{ background-image: url(/local--files/start/logo.png); height:100px; /**** Height of your logo in pixels ****/ width:130px; /**** Width of your logo in pixels ****/ } #side-bar{ margin-top: 80px; /**** Height of your logo in pixels minus about 20 ****/ width:130px; /**** Width of your logo in pixels ****/ } #main-content{ margin-left:137px; /**** Width of your logo in pixels plus 7 ****/ } #page-options-bottom.page-options-bottom, #page-options-bottom-2.page-options-bottom{ left:145px; /**** May need to be increased past 145 pixels if your logo is more than /**** 145 pixels wide but be careful of visitors that use smaller screens (experiment) ****/ } (DELETE THIS LINE) *********/
page revision: 0, last edited: 11 Apr 2019 08:59


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Some topics in nutrition remind me of politics because the spin, distortion and exaggeration make it difficult to determine the facts. I do not care what the truth is as long as I know it. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) is one of those subjects that ignites emotions in a manner I believe is out of proportion for the issue.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Genetic Modification
Hybrids that would not occur naturally were developed for more uniform and predictable yields. Sometimes a genetic mutation (such as a navel orange) with defects Mother Nature would never allow to develop were embraced and farmed.
Early plant modification was not specific compared to what is done today, but it was much more precise than what would have occurred naturally. In fact, for hundreds of years the main crops that feed mankind have become more and more unnatural.
Livestock has undergone the same process. We've all learned what has happened to the omega-3 fats in beef because of the preference for a more tender product. By the time GMO crops began to appear in the 1990s, most of the plants and animals we consume were already so modified they could never survive without considerable assistance.
When our ancestors made something bigger, sweeter or more uniform, those desired characteristics were accompanied by other changes – some positive, some negative and some (probably many) unrecognized. To achieve those changes, hundreds, if not thousands, of genes were altered. The result was better-looking and/or better-tasting produce and livestock that were often more susceptible to a number of problems the species never had before man began to alter it.
This does not mean what is done today – injecting DNA into a cell culture or using a bacteria that serves as a carrier to deliver DNA – is risk free, but understanding what had been done in the past makes it easier to evaluate what (and in some cases why) genetic modification has continued.
Putting GMO in Appropriate Context
One of the biggest problems with the GMO debate is context. The DC who asked me about GMO was not happy with my answer and used the example of GMO corn. My reply: "There is a can of soda and a bag of cookies on your desk, and you're worried about corn?"
Even more disturbing is the destruction of GMO produce because of safety concerns. In May 2013, GMO grapes were destroyed in France. Sugar beets in Oregon were destroyed in June 2013. GMO corn has been destroyed in Spain and Hungary. In August 2013, GMO rice crops in the Philippines were destroyed because the rice was potentially unsafe.
Let's assume it is unsafe (even though in that case, the rice had been altered to contain higher levels of beta carotene to reduce the nation's large vitamin A deficiency). How's this for a ridiculous question: Would you feed it to people who would otherwise die of starvation in 10 days, knowing their risk of death would increase in 10 years? Or how about: "Are the GMO grape, rice, corn and sugar-beet examples more dangerous than the tobacco also grown in each of the five nations mentioned?
In part 2 of this article, we will address specific GMO pros, cons, risks, myths, facts, and how a defeat at the ballot box has turned out to be a win for those concerned about GMO – including myself.
Click here for previous articles by G. Douglas Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN.


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Our friends at this great photo magazine release their first book published through PowerHouse Books.
Hamburger Eyes: Inside Burgerworld
Published by Powerhouse Books
HC, 8.25 x 10.25 in - 192 Pages
Over 200 Duotone Photographs
Hamburger Eyes now in hardcover book form. So sick..
"Hilarious yet scary, hardcore yet charming, the Hamburger Eyes crew put out the illest lil photography magazine the world has ever seen. Since the first issue of 30 xeroxed pamphlets was printed in 2002, Hamburger Eyes has become an elegant yet underground periodical combining the documentary approach of National Geographic with the hit-em-hard sensibility of a late-night tagger.
A pictorial history of both the intimate and iconic moments of everyday life, Hamburger Eyes is a travel journal, a personal diary, and a family album. Inspired by the traditions that began with Life magazine and Robert Frank, the magazine revitalizes the sensation of photography as a craft as well as a tool to record and document.
Now, in their first book, HAMBURGER EYES: INSIDE BURGERWORLD, they put you through the grinder with a selection of photographs by magazine masterminds Ray Potes, David Potes, Stefan Simikich, and Jason Roberts Dobrin, as well as regular contributors Ted Pushinsky, Dave Schubert, Boogie, David Uzzardi, Tobin Yelland, Ryan Furtado, and countless other upstarts. Get ready for photography on the loose. "
Click here to purchase - $35
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I love storytelling.
It's a consuming passion for me. After all, the main focus of my company, Explainify, is to help brands tell great stories through animated video.
The great thing about business storytelling is that it's about more than just the numbers. It can also lead to better conversions, more sales, and increased brand equity. But storytelling goes deeper than that. It goes beyond individual marketing campaigns and digital ads to the beating heart of your business.
The problem for most business owners and entrepreneurs is that they haven't had a chance to step back, look at their whole company, and figure out just what their story is.
But since that's what gets people to sit up and take notice of your brand, It's 100% worth the time it takes.
So what makes a great brand story? And how do you start telling yours? There are three aspects of storytelling you need to consider:
1. Know thyself
Socrates didn't know it at the time, but he'd stumbled on the first step to telling your brand story.You have to know what your company is all about.
I'm not just talking about what makes you money. It's great that you create software, design logos, or brew beer, but it's not just enough to talk about what you do, you have to know why you're doing it. What is your business' mission in the world? What drove you to the marketplace in the first place?
Take Patagonia, for example. These guys make incredible outdoor goods and clothing. But that's not what drives them. What drives them is encouraging people to embrace adventure, and finding ways to turn the clothing industry upside down, make their production more sustainable, and ultimately save the planet.
That's a damn good story. And that is who they are.
So when you start to define your story, you've absolutely got to start with defining your mission and motivation. After that, everything else starts to fall into place.
2. Know thy audience
Once you've started to figure out who you are, you need to get a better grasp on your audience.
This may sound like a no-brainer, but I've found that a lot of business owners have a tendency to think in terms of their ideal audience — who they want their potential clients to be.
There's only one problem: Sometimes your ideal audience and your actual audience don't match up. Maybe you'd rather be a big hit with trendy young adults, but you're actually seeing more success with middle-aged moms. Guess what? You need to tell a story that matters to the people who are listening.
Knowing who you're talking to allows you to target your message to the right people and from there build meaningful connections. Your customer's story is your story.
3. Build a bridge
Now that you know what you're trying to say and who you're saying it to, you can actually tell your story!
A great brand story sits at the intersection of who you are and what your audience craves. The key is to keep these forces in balance. Telling a story with too much you and not enough of your audience makes you irrelevant, while chasing the whims of your audience without any sense of purpose makes you wishy-washy. You don't want that, and neither do your customers.
Your story should be the place where your audience sees what they want to be in what you're doing. When that happens, they will line up to get on board.
Author: Eric Hinson


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Beautiful poetry, selected by the ed. of The Critic, 1. köide1853 |
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Advertisements beautiful beneath bird blue breast breath bright brow calm cheek child Church clouds cold comes dark dead death deep dream earth eyes face fair fall fear feel flowers friends gentle give golden gone grave green hand hath head hear heard heart heaven hill hope hour human Journal land leaves light lips live look mind moon morn mother mountain nature never night o'er once pale pass poem poet poetry prayer published rest rose round shade shadow shine silent sing sleep smile soft song sorrow soul sound spirit spring stars Strand stream summer sweet tears tell thee thine things thou thoughts trees voice wake waters waves weep wild wind wings woods young youth
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Page 76 - Of aspect more sublime : that blessed mood In which the burthen of the mystery, In which the heavy and the weary weight Of all this unintelligible world. Is lightened; that serene and blessed mood. In which the affections gently lead us on, Until, the breath of this corporeal frame And even the motion of our human blood Almost suspended, we are laid asleep In body, and become a living soul...
Page 190 - I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers, From the seas and the streams; I bear light shade for the leaves when laid In their noonday dreams. From my wings are shaken the dews that waken The sweet buds every one, When rocked to rest on their mother's breast, As she dances about the sun. I wield the flail of the lashing hail, And whiten the green plains under, And then again I dissolve it in rain, And laugh as I pass in thunder.
Page 52 - I cannot see what flowers are at my feet, Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs, But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet...
Page 367 - And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor: And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted — nevermore...
Page 5 - All that breathe Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care Plod on, and each one, as before, will chase His favorite phantom; yet all these shall leave Their mirth and their employments, and shall come And make their bed with thee.
Page 4 - To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks A various language ; for his gayer hours She has a voice of gladness, and a smile And eloquence of beauty, and she glides Into his darker musings, with a mild And healing sympathy, that steals away Their sharpness, ere he is aware.
Page 364 - Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,— " Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, " art sure no craven, Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore: Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore !" Quoth the Raven,
Page 240 - Ye stars ! which are the poetry of heaven ! If in your bright leaves we would read the fate Of men and empires, — 'tis to be forgiven, That in our aspirations to be great, Our destinies o'erleap their mortal state, And claim a kindred with you ; for ye are A beauty and a mystery, and create In us such love and reverence from afar, That fortune, fame, power, life, have named themselves a star...
Page 53 - As she is famed to do, deceiving elf. Adieu ! adieu ! thy plaintive anthem fades Past the near meadows, over the still stream, Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep In the next valley-glades : Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music: — do I wake or sleep?
Page 297 - Look here, upon this picture, and on this, The counterfeit presentment of two brothers. See what a grace was seated on this brow ; Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars, to threaten and command; A station like the herald Mercury New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill ; A combination and a form indeed, Where every god did seem to set his seal To give the world assurance of a man : This was your husband.


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Location Analytics Market Size, Landscape, Industry Analysis, Business Outlook, Current and Future Growth By 2026
The Location Analytics Market size is projected to grow from USD 15.7 billion in 2021 to 29.9 USD billion in 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.8% during the forecast period. The location analytics industry is driven by increasing use of spatial data and analytical tools. However, rising in the use of location-based applications and use of location data and analytics to fight COVID-19 further contributes to the growth of the location analytics market.
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Based on the Component, solution segment to account for a larger market size during the forecast period
The location analytics market has been segmented by two components: solution and services. The deployment of location analytics has witnessed an increase in adoption, as serves a variety of purposes, such as Data Integration and ETL and Reporting and Visualization. The growing adoption of location analytics across all major verticals, such as Manufacturing, Government & Defense, Media & Entertainment, Transportation & Logistics, Energy & Utility, Telecom & IT, Healthcare, Pharma, and Lifesciences, Tourism & Hospitality, Banking & Financial Services, Insurance, Real Estate, Education.
Based on deployment mode, cloud segment to hold the largest market size during the forecast period
Cloud computing refers to the storage, management, and processing of data via networks of remote servers, which are typically accessed via the Internet. According to Statista, cloud computing would generate more than USD 300 billion in revenue in 2020 as a component of IT services. At the same time, PwC shows the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the cloud transition even further as per data during the first quarter of 2020, cloud spending increased by 37% to USD 29 billion. The increasing generation of data leads to various challenges for several organizations. These challenges include storage, privacy, and affordability.
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Major location analytics vendors include IBM(US), Google(US), Oracle(US), Microsoft(US), Esri(US), SAS(US), Precisely(US), SAP(Germany), CISCO(US), TomTom(Netherlands), Hexagon(Sweden), Zebra Technologies(US), Alteryx(US), HERE(US), Purple(UK), Galigeo (France), Geomoby (Western Australia), Quppa (Finland), CleverMaps (Czech Republic), IndoorAtlas (Finland), Lepton Software(India), CARTO(US), TIBCO(US), Sparkgeo (Canada), PlaceIQ (US), Ascent Cloud(US), Foursquare(US), MapLarge (Georgia), SedimentIQ(US), Ariadne Maps (Germany), Locale.ai (India), Geoblink (Spain), Nrby(US), Mapidea (Portugal), GapMaps (Australia), LocationsCloud(US). These market players have adopted various growth strategies, such as partnerships, collaborations, and new product launches, to expand have been the most adopted strategies by major players from 2019 to 2021, which helped companies innovate their offerings and broaden their customer base.
Google is a global technology company, and its primary business areas include web-based search, desktop and mobile operating systems, display advertising and tools, enterprise solutions, hardware products, consumer content platform, advertising platform, and cloud computing platform. The company generates revenues by delivering relevant, cost-effective online advertising, cloud-based solutions that provide customers with platforms, collaboration tools and services, and sales of other products and services, such as apps and in-app purchases, digital content, and subscriptions for digital content, and hardware. Its search engine maintains a list of websites and online content for Google network members, advertisers, and content providers. The company's core products include Android, Maps, Chrome, YouTube, Google Play, and Gmail. Google also sells hardware products such as Chromebook, Chromecast, and Nexus. The company has a worldwide presence in more than 40 countries. The company offers solutions to various industries, which include retail, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, media and entertainment, telecommunications, gaming, manufacturing, energy, government, education, and small businesses. It has a geographical presence in US, APAC, EMEA, and other Americas. The solutions offered by Google in the location analytics market are Google Earth Engine, BigQuery GIS, and Google Maps Platform.
Oracle is one of the leading providers of cloud and database solutions. The company's business is divided into three major segments, namely cloud and license, hardware, and services. It is present in more than 145 countries, with a workforce of 206,815 employees, serving more than 420,000 customers. It has a presence in Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Oracle is an established and leading vendor of enterprise-grade products and solutions. The company specializes in developing, manufacturing, and marketing hardware systems, database and middleware software, and application software. It offers analytics software designed to leverage big data and enterprise data for enabling organizations to analyze data and discover new ways for strategizing and planning business operations. Oracle works on various emerging technologies, including IoT, AI, blockchain, ML, chatbots and digital assistance, and data science, which helps develop new business models and deliver SaaS applications embedded with these emerging technologies.
In the location analytics market, the company offers solutions, such as Oracle Spatial and Graph, Oracle Fusion Middleware MapViewer, Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE), Oracle Scheduling and Mobile Workforce Management Solutions, Logistics and Oracle Transportation Management (OTM), Oracle Location Query Analysis, and Oracle RDF Semantics Graph.
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Emmy-Award winning Hollywood director Rob Schiller and World Champion kick-boxer Baxter Humby will play in a Santa Monica charity poker tournament tonight, benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica youth.
The Texas Hold 'Em Style Poker Tournament will be held at Lexus of Santa Monica.
Funds raised during this tournament will go toward improving and sustaining the programs and services we provide to the youth we serve.
For only $20 annually, youth aged 6-18 receive a multitude of programs in character & leadership, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness and recreation.
This fundraiser will help to expand these services and develop new program offerings to serve more youth in and around our community.
Sponsors of this event include: Pacific Youth Foundation, Lexus of Santa Monica, SantaMonicaListings.com, P.F. Chang's of Santa Monica, Venice Beach Beer Company, Jersey Mike's and Rob Schiller.
Check-in for the event is at 6 pm. The tournament begins at 7 pm.
Lexus of Santa Monica is located at 1501 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica.
For more information, visit www.smbgc.org or call 310.361.8500.